TOVSBDND: Daily Atmospheric Grids from NOAA-12 Satellite

Global daily atmospheric data on a 1x1 degree grid, derived from HIRS/2 and MSU radiances using the Improved Initialization Inversion (3I) retrieval scheme. This dataset contains parameters such as water vapor, skin temperature, and upper-air temperature, produced as part of the NASA TOVS Pathfinder Path-B project. The data originates from the NOAA-12 satellite and was processed by the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique.

Use Cases

• Analyzing global water vapor distribution based on water vapor indicator columns.
• Studying daily surface temperature variations using the skin temperature parameter.
• Validating climate model outputs against historical satellite-derived upper-air temperature data.
• Investigating cloud-atmosphere interactions using the atmospheric chemistry classifications.

Strengths

• Data is processed using a specific, documented retrieval scheme (Improved Initialization Inversion/3I).
• Provides global coverage on a standardized 1x1 degree geospatial grid.
• Part of a recognized NASA project (TOVS Pathfinder), indicating a level of curation.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts: one source lists a last update in 1995, while another lists 2026, creating uncertainty about data currency.
• Specific column names and data formats (beyond BIN, TEXT, etc.) are not provided, hindering precise usability assessment.
• The exact temporal coverage (start and end dates) for the data record is not specified.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), processed by Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (Ecole Polytechnique).

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data from the NOAA-12 satellite, processed using the 3I classification retrieval scheme.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:42:01.267207

Geography

Global